Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district

Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district is located in central Massachusetts, encompassing much of Franklin, Hampshire, and Worcester counties, as well as small portions of Middlesex and Norfolk Counties. The largest municipalities in the district include Worcester (which is the second-largest city in New England after Boston), Leominster, Amherst, Shrewsbury, and Northampton.

Democrat Jim McGovern has represented the district since 2013; he previously represented the 3rd district since 1997.

Cities and towns represented
As of the 2021 redistricting, the 2nd district includes 68 municipalities:


 * In Franklin County: Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Shelburne, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, and Whately
 * In Hampshire County: Amherst, Chesterfield, Goshen, Hadley, Hatfield, Northampton, Pelham, Westhampton, and Williamsburg
 * In Worcester County: Athol, Auburn, Barre, Boylston, Douglas, Grafton, Hardwick, Holden, Hubbardston, Leicester, Leominster, Millbury, Northborough, Northbridge, Oakham, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Royalston, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sterling, Sutton, Templeton, Upton, Uxbridge, Webster (only precincts 1, 3, and 4), West Boylston, Westborough, Westminster (only precinct 2A), and Worcester
 * In Middlesex County: Ashland, Holliston, and Hopkinton
 * In Norfolk County: Medway

1795 to 1803
Known as the 2nd Western District.

1803 to 1813
Known as the "Essex North" district.

1813 to 1833
Known as the "Essex South" district. From 1813-1815, the district was shaped in such a way that poet and Federalist Richard Alsop described it as a "Gerry-mander" (a portmanteau of Gerry—the governor at the time—and salamander). Illustrator Elkanah Tisdale subsequently used the term as the basis for a political cartoon, which popularized it and led to "gerrymandering" being used to describe the practice of manipulating electoral district boundaries to gain a political advantage.

1843 to 1853
The Act of September 16, 1842, established the district on the North Shore and New Hampshire border, with the following municipalities:


 * In Essex County: Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester, Marblehead, Middleton, Rockport, Salem, Saugus, Topsfield, and Wenham
 * In Middlesex County: Malden, Medford, Reading, South Reading, and Stoneham
 * In Suffolk County: Chelsea

1860s
"Parts of the counties of Bristol, Norfolk, and Plymouth."

1903 to 1913
During this decade, the district contained the following municipalities:


 * In Franklin County: Erving, Leverett, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, and Wendell
 * In Hampshire County: Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, Enfield, Granby, Hadley, Northampton, Pelham, Prescott, South Hadley, and Ware
 * In Hampden County: Brimfield, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Holland, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Springfield, Wales, and Wilbraham
 * In Worcester County: Athol, Barre, Brookfield, Dana, Hardwick, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Oakham, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Warren, and West Brookfield.

1913 to 1923
During this decade, the district contained the following municipalities:


 * In Franklin County: Bernardston, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Leverett, Montague, Northfield, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, and Whately
 * In Hampshire County: Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, Enfield, Granby, Hadley, Hatfield, Northampton, Pelham, South Hadley, Ware, and Williamsburg
 * In Hampden County: Agawam, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Springfield, West Springfield, and Wilbraham

2003 to 2013
During this decade, the district contained the following municipalities:


 * In Hampden County: Agawam, Brimfield, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Holland, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Springfield, Wales, Wilbraham
 * In Hampshire County: Hadley, Northampton, South Hadley
 * In Norfolk County: Bellingham
 * In Worcester County: Blackstone, Brookfield, Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Grafton, Hopedale, Leicester, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, North Brookfield, Northbridge, Oxford, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Warren, Webster

2013 to 2023
After the 2010 census, the shape of the district changed for the elections of 2012. The updated district covered central Massachusetts, including much of Worcester County, and was largely the successor to the old 3rd District. Most of the old 2nd district, including Springfield, was moved into the updated 1st district.

During this decade, the district contained the following municipalities:


 * In Franklin County: Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Leverett, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Wendell, Warwick, and Whately
 * In Hampden County: Precinct 1 in Palmer
 * In Hampshire County: Amherst, Belchertown, Hadley, Hatfield, Northampton, Pelham, and Ware
 * In Norfolk County: Precincts 4 and 5 in Bellingham
 * In Worcester County: Athol, Auburn, Barre, Blackstone, Boylston, Douglas, Grafton, Hardwick, Holden, Hubbardston, Leicester, Leominster, Mendon, Millbury, Millville, Northborough, Northbridge, North Brookfield, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Royalston, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Spencer, Sterling, Sutton, Templeton, Upton, Uxbridge, Webster, West Boylston, Westborough, Precinct 1 in Winchendon, and Worcester.